Asmahan

Asmahan was a Syrian-Egyptian singer and actress who was active in the 1930s and 1940s. She was born to a Druze family in As-Suwayda, Syria, and was the sister of Farid Al Atrash, a famous singer and composer. Asmahan began her career as a singer in the early 1930s, and soon became one of the most popular singers in the Arab world. She sang the compositions of Mohamed El Qasabgi, Zakariyya Ahmad, Mohammed Abdel Wahab, and her brother Farid. Her voice was one of the few female voices in Arab music that could compete with that of Umm Kulthum, the most distinguished singer of the 20th century. Asmahan also starred in several films, such as Intisar al-Shabab, Gharam wa Intiqam, and Laila bint al-Sahra. She was known for her beauty, charisma, and controversial personal life. She was married three times, had several affairs, and was involved in political intrigues during World War II. She allegedly worked as a spy for the British, the French, the Germans, and the Jewish Agency in Palestine, and tried to influence the outcome of the war in the Middle East. She died in a mysterious car accident near Cairo in 1944, at the age of 31. Her death sparked many rumors and conspiracy theories, and remains unsolved to this day. Asmahan is considered one of the legends of Arabic music and cinema, and her songs and films are still admired by millions of fans.